South Africa’s Higher Education Minister Buti Manamela acknowledges delays in the NSFAS “missing-middle” loan scheme, saying the process is “too low and too slow” relative to demand. Applications for the programme have reached about 53,500, but the minister says it has so far reached relatively few eligible students.
Manamela places the discussion in the context of government plans to improve student funding. She indicates the state is targeting 2027 for a more inclusive student funding model, aiming to address gaps left by existing arrangements. The reported figures point to a mismatch between the number of applicants and the number of students who qualify and progress through the scheme.
Across coverage, the emphasis remains on whether the missing-middle programme is functioning quickly enough and at the scale expected to support students who fall outside traditional NSFAS eligibility. The framing focuses on administrative or processing timelines and the effect on access, while situating the scheme as a transitional step toward broader reform.
